After Angel fled, Chen Fan began making his way toward Erza and the others. His pace was slow and steady, as if he were out for a simple stroll. He showed no trace of tension, acting as though he weren't worried about the impending attack at all.
There were few things left in this world that could actually make him nervous. There was no need to fret over minor characters like the Oración Seis. In truth, he was being a bit selfish; he wanted the others to receive a bit of a lesson.
He wanted them to stop acting like they were the masters of the universe. A bit of hardship would be good for their growth. Because he had settled every crisis they had faced recently, the bonds they shared had begun to weaken.
That wasn't good for any of them. Chen Fan had decided that once this crisis was resolved, it would be time for him to part ways with Erza's group. He needed to start preparing to take over as Guild Master.
He looked up at the sun, staring directly into its brilliance. He let out a helpless sigh. How many people in this world could stare directly at the sun as he did? Perhaps he had always been destined for loneliness.
Meanwhile, the vanguard unit had already engaged the Oración Seis.
Natsu and Gray were the first to charge, but a figure from the Oración Seis blurred forward. He moved so fast the eye could barely track him. With a sharp whoosh, he appeared between the two of them. Natsu and Gray only had time to raise their arms in a desperate guard before they were kicked away, sent tumbling through the air.
Lyon and Sherry moved to strike next, but they were blocked by a massive man carrying a magic book and dressed like a priest. This was none other than Hoteye of the Oración Seis.
"I see it. Even without love, as long as one has money, everything is fine, right?" Hoteye said, opening his eyes wide. A golden light flashed within his pupils as he waved his right hand toward the charging pair.
Magic power surged from him, and the ground beneath Lyon and Sherry began to collapse and soften. It turned into a treacherous pit of swampy mire, and they quickly began to sink into the silt.
"What's happening? The ground is..." Lyon stammered in shock.
"Love is still more important, isn't it, Lord Lyon?" Sherry sighed, seemingly beyond help as she prattled about love even in a moment like this.
The three members of Blue Pegasus rushed forward as well, but Racer took them out with a single kick each. In an instant, they lost their fighting strength and lay flat on the ground. KO'd.
Erza couldn't hold back any longer. She leaped into the air and shouted, "Requip!" A magnificent set of armor materialized around herthe Heaven's Wheel Armor.
"Dance, my blades!" A circle of flying swords appeared around Erza, their tips pointed directly at Cobra, the Poison Dragon Slayer. With a point of her longsword, the blades streaked toward him.
"I hear you," Cobra said calmly.
With the slightest shift of his feet, he danced through the onslaught. Every single sword missed its mark, thudding harmlessly into the ground.
"What! He read my swordplay?" Erza watched from above, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Suddenly, Racer appeared behind her, swinging his leg in a vicious arc. Erza sensed the movement, but she only managed to raise her sword just in time to barely block the blow.
Erza shouted again, "Requip! Flight Armor!" Brandishing twin blades, she slashed at Racer with incredible speed. However, Racer dodged every strike with ease, even finding the time to taunt her. "So fast!"
Hearing his mockery, Erza swung even faster, but a voice suddenly cut in. "I can hear ityour next move." With that, a foot slammed into Erza's abdomen.
As Erza fell to the side, clutching her stomach, she thought, He really did see through me.
Cobra smirked. "See through you? Not quite. Like I said... I can hear you."
Natsu had scrambled back to his feet by then. Seeing Midnight sleeping soundly, his temper flared. He cupped his hands to his mouth and roared, "Fire Dragon's Roar!" A searing snake of fire blasted toward Midnight, but just before it touched the man's body, the flames took an unnatural turn, curving around him. Midnight remained completely unscathed.
Natsu stared, stunned. He had seen this phenomenon before. In fact, he had seen it many times, because it was Chen Fan's specialty.
"Hey, you bastard! Wake up! Do you know Chen Fan?" Natsu yelled at Midnight.
Suddenly, a voice whispered in Natsu's ear. It was Racer. "Stop. Waking Midnight up is a very terrifying thing." As he spoke, Racer unleashed a flurry of kicks upon Natsu.
The attacks came from every direction. Natsu had no way to defend himself; he was trapped in the air, unable to even find a chance to land.
Seeing Natsu under fire, Gray prepared to use his Molding Magic, but another Gray suddenly appeared behind him. "Ice-Make: Lance!" Several ice spears impaled the air where Gray stood, sent him flying.
Lyon and Sherry, having finally escaped the mud, unleashed their own spells. "Ice-Make: Eagle!" "Doll Play!"
"Money is more powerful than love, right?" Hoteye declared. He pointed forward, a complex golden magic circle lighting up. The ground began to churn once more, forming a massive wall of earth that came rolling toward them.
On the other side, Erza slashed wildly at Cobra, but the man retreated at a leisurely pace, swaying his body slightly to let every attack fall into empty air.
Suddenly, several figures converged on Erza. Before she could react, the cobra draped around the man's shoulders lunged forward, sinking its fangs into her shoulder. She collapsed to the ground, her strength drained by the venom. As for Lucy, she had been dealt with by Angel at the very beginning. The vanguard was completely wiped out.
Brain, the leader of the Oración Seis, spoke up. "Damnable trash. Disappear together."
He pointed his skull staff forward. A purple magic circle appeared, and dark green magic elements formed into a torrential flood. The very earth seemed to tremble.
"Dark Capriccio!" Brain roared. He pointed his staff toward the sky, and magic attacks began to fall like rain.
Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Rock Iron Wall!" The ground seemed to come alive, rising to form a massive wall that hung in mid-air. It was Jura, who had rushed to the scene.
Wendy, hiding behind a rock, couldn't help but let out a sound. Brain spotted her instantly. He waved his hand, and a massive hand formed of magic reached out to snatch her.
"You won't have your way!" Jura shouted. He slammed his hands onto the ground, causing pillars of earth to strike at Brain's magic hand. Wendy took the chance to run toward the back.
Brain turned to Racer and shouted, "Go! Catch that girl!"
"No problem," Racer replied. He blurred toward Wendy, his body flickering in and out of sight as he closed the distance in a few leaps.
"You can't outrun me, little girl! I am the fastest in the world!" Racer called out to her.
Suddenly, a light, frivolous voice echoed through the clearing.
"Oh... really? Then why don't you see if you can outrun my pebble?"
Whoosh! A streak of fire erupted from the woods, accompanied by a deafening roar. Every tree it touched was annihilated instantly. Carrying the momentum of total destruction, the blast tore toward Racer.
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